“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” — 2 Corinthians 3:5

In 1963, Walt Disney hired Alice Davis to contribute her skills in designing costumes for his “It’s a Small World” attraction. When Alice asked Walt how much she was allowed on budget per garment, he looked at her and said, “No Alice, that isn’t it. I want you to design a costume for each one of these dolls that every woman would love to have, from the age of one to a hundred. I have a building over there filled with people that find out where to get the money.”

Walt didn’t want Alice encumbered about the budget because he wanted to free her creativity and imagination to thrive. Therefore he simplified it for her: Give me what you have and don’t concern yourself about what you don’t have. My building over there will take care of the rest.

I love those moments in scripture when Jesus simplifies life and mission for his disciples. We see one of those moments in Mark 6. The disciples had just returned from a mission trip and they were reporting to Jesus all they had done and taught. They were tired and exhausted, just wanting a quiet place to eat and rest but the crowds prevented that from happening. Thousands of people were pressing to learn more about this miracle worker from Galilee. It says that when Jesus looked upon those crowds, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Here they were doing ministry out in the middle of nowhere and it was very late in the day. People are getting “H-A-N-G-R-Y,” including the disciples. So they tell Jesus, “send the people away” that they can go find themselves some food in the villages. But watch how Jesus takes a logistical crisis and simplifies the whole situation.

“You give them something to eat,” he tells the disciples.

They immediately default to budgetary concerns and statistical improbabilities: “It would take more than half a year’s wages to feed all these people.” And just like Jesus did in so many other occasions, he uses a brilliant short question like a surgeon’s knife to cut away the superfluous and get to the heart of what God is up to. “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” Their inventory review accounted for five loaves and two fish—something akin to a Happy Meal. You know the rest of the story. Over five thousand men ate and were satisfied, and that doesn’t account for all the women and children who ate with them.

I must admit that when I look at the problems in the world, whether across the street or across the ocean, my little seems terribly insufficient. The demands feel overwhelming and impossible. What do I have to offer that can make any real difference? But I’m reminded that when Jesus says, “Give me what you have,” he doesn’t want me hampered by the question: What good does my little matter among such a great need? The all-sufficient God of this universe doesn’t need my sufficiency. He just wants my participation. The all-knowing omniscient One doesn’t need me to know it all or have the perfect plan to execute. He just wants my “Yes.”

God wants you to thrive in the “little” you have—gifts, abilities, resources, etc.—and leave what you don’t have to His all-sufficient providence. Give me what you have and don’t concern yourself about what you don’t have. My building over there will take care of the rest. Worthy thoughts to consider as you seek to abide in “El Shaddai”­—the all-sufficient One—this week.

PRAYER

God, it is so easy to look at what we don’t have and feel inadequate. But it is never about our insufficiency; it is always about your all-sufficiency. You long to do wonders with our simple ‘yes.’ Our little is never too small in the hands of a big God. Holy Spirit, teach our heart to live in this remembrance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for personal reflection, small group discussion, or dinner table conversations:

1. What was a time when you had to do something that you thought was impossible? What happened? 
2. How did Jesus respond to the crowds of people waiting to see Him? (Mark 6:34) What does Jesus’ reaction to the crowds tell you about His character and mission? (v34)
3. What problem did the disciples bring to Jesus? Why? (vv35-36) What does the disciples’ reaction to Jesus’ solution tell us about them? (v37)
4. Why do you think Jesus provided much more than enough food for the people, then had the surplus carefully collected? What do you think Jesus wanted to teach His disciples through this miracle?
5. What is one possession or ability, not matter how little it may be, that you need to give to the Lord so that He can use it for His glory?

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Walt Disney coined the term plussing as a way of making an idea even better. I’ve read that one of Walt Disney’s greatest talents was his ability to get people to do better work than they imagined they were capable of. By telling his workers to plus it, even when they think they nailed it, gave Disney that extra edge when it came to quality animation back in the day.

Disney theme park designer, Orlando Ferrante, said, “Walt had a simple philosophy: ‘Get the job done, but never sacrifice quality.’ It was always about plussing. He often told us, ‘You worry about the quality. Let me worry about the cost.’”

Sometimes in order to plus, you must subtract. Walt wouldn’t hesitate to delete an entire sequence if it slowed the action or detracted from the story. Cutting is plussing when it results in a better product. Sometimes less is more.

Art Linkletter summed up Walt’s commitment to plussing this way: “Walt could just as well have been a very successful plumber somewhere. He’d be the best plumber, of course, and the plunger would probably play ‘Auld Lang Syne’ in the toilet.”

In his book, How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life, Pat Williams tells the story of a person visiting Walt Disney World and being asked how he was enjoying the experience. When asked, “What was the highlight of your vacation?” The expected answer would’ve been the thrill rides or the golfing at the resort. But his answer was somewhat surprising.

“The highlight of our vacation,” he said, “was coming back to the hotel at night.” How could a hotel room top all the wonders of Disney World? He explained:

“My five-year-old daughter can’t wait to see what the maid does next with her dolls. One night, we found the dolls perched on the edge of the bathtub. Another night, the dolls were hanging from the light fixture. Last night, the maid fashioned a boat out of a big bath towel and the dolls were in the boat on my daughter’s bed.”

This maid at a Disney hotel had found a way to be like Walt. She was plussing the hotel experience of a five-year-old girl—and in the process, she made raving Disney fans out of the entire family. Whether you are a hotel maid, a corporate executive, a ministry leader, or a shoestring salesman, you can be like Walt. Pursue excellence in everything you do. “Plus every experience—then plus the plus,” says Williams.

No matter what business you are in, your success depends on your commitment to excellence and attention to detail. If you deliver more than people expect, you will turn clients into fans. If you go out of your way to make people feel special, they will go out of their way to buy your product or partner with your efforts.

The Bible talks about plussing for the glory of God: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

As servants of the awe-inspiring Creator of this marvelous universe, and the One Who is redeeming all things unto Himself, we should be giving ourselves to excellence in everything we do—for His glory and His honor. We should make plussing our effort to bring Christ the utmost honor and glory that he deserves in every aspect of our lives!

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Walt Disney Leadership Lessons

The most decorated dreamer in modern history, found that his greatest ideas were birthed out of his greatest struggles. He once hailed, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

Walt drove the company by embracing risk and his brother, Roy, lost his hair by trying to balance Walt’s enthusiasm. It seemed to everyone, including Roy, that just when things were going smoothly, Walt would find a way to court disaster yet again. Adversity became a way of life for Disney Studios. If he wasn’t struggling, Walt wasn’t happy.

In 1937, following the huge success of Snow White, overwhelming employee expectations were created that left Walt feeling powerless to fulfill. In 1941 Disney Studio animators went on strike. Walt was shattered. He would never again feel the same passion for cartoons and movies. Thus began his wilderness period, which lasted a decade. Out of that period came Walt’s inspiration for Disneyland, and he threw himself relentlessly into the theme park idea.

For Walt, his greatest ADVERSITY always brought about his greatest IDEAS. Opposition for him always pushed him to greater levels of imagination and resolve. Perhaps that’s why he was able to say with such grace, “I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it.”

What opposition or adversity are you facing today; perhaps your greatest idea and greatest inspiration will come out of this chapter in your life.

Let your imagination run wild! Dreams are the language of the Holy Spirit.

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Sometimes, culture-building efforts fail, but it’s usually because people are not provided with realistic common goals and objectives. Here are some tips for effective culture building in any organization:

• Don’t complicate ideas: Create tangible goals and leave room for individuality so employees/volunteers don’t feel forced to change.

• Think globally: Each team member, at every level must “buy in” to the culture. This can be accomplished by assessing and working towards an established ‘bigger picture’, while leaving room for employees/volunteers to express their personality.

• Incorporate training and coaching: Provide specific guidelines and measurable feedback from your team.

• Establish rewards: Motivate employees through reward and recognition programs. Try ‘celebrating the everyday’ to establish a culture of employee recognition and appreciation.

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http://youtu.be/m5HN3-l_f-U

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